• 2006-

  Zach СondonVocals, trumpet, flugelhorn, ukulele

  Perrin CloutierAccordion, cello

  Nick PetreeDrums, percussion, melodica

  Paul CollinsElectric bass, upright bass

  Kelly PrattTrumpet, French horn, glockenspiel

  Ben LanzTrombone/tuba
• Beirut singer Zach Condon dropped out of school at age 16. He later enrolled in community college but dropped out again to travel Europe with his brother. His love for European and world music helped to shape Beirut's unique sound.
• Zach Condon was a straight-A student growing up until his sophomore year in high school. Condon lost his focus and began skipping classes three times a week. He also handed in fake papers copied from the internet until he eventually just dropped out of school at 16.
• Beirut singer Zach Condon likes to collaborate with other like-minded artists. He appears on the first and last tracks on Grizzly Bear's Friend EP. He also appears on Blondie's 2011 album Panic of Girls.
• When he was 14, Beirut singer Zach Condon fell off a bridge and broke his arm. At 17, he had surgery to repair the injury, but now his left wrist is an inch and a half shorter than his right one. Since Condon used to finger the guitar with his left hand, he's no longer able to play the instrument because he can't wrap his left wrist around the fret board without feeling immense pain.
• Zach Condon says he listens to a lot of electronic music. When he was 15, Boards of Canada were one of his favorite bands. Artists like Casino Vs. Japan and Aphex Twin also make it onto his iPod playlist.
• Zach Condon never writes or records music in his house in Brooklyn. Condon says he needs to get outside to work, so he'll often rent a studio or go back to his home state of New Mexico to create new songs. Once he rented a farmhouse two hours north of New York City just so he could leave Brooklyn to write music.
• Beirut singer Zach Condon's dream vacation is on the beach. While visiting Morocco, Condon once spent 8 hours in the water in a lagoon. He says it was "one of the happiest days of his life" and that he uses the beach as a place to unwind and deal with stress.

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More Songfacts:

LullabyThe Cure

The Cure's "Lullaby" is based on a recurring nightmare frontman Robert Smith had as a child where he was eaten by a giant spider.

How Big, How Blue, How BeautifulFlorence + the Machine

The title of Florence + the Machine's "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" was inspired by the Los Angeles skyline.

Think As You DrunkRiley Green

"Think As You Drunk" by Riley Green is based on a scene in the show Reno 911! where a guy gets pulled over and starts dancing (quite well) during his sobriety test. When the cop asks if he's a dancer, he says, "No, I'm just drunk." Green found it hilarious.

The RoofMariah Carey

Mariah Carey's song "The Roof" is about her first kiss with Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

BadMichael Jackson

Wesley Snipes played the rival gang leader in Michael Jackson's "Bad" video.

With Arms Wide OpenCreed

Scott Stapp of Creed wrote "With Arms Wide Open" when he found out he was going to be a dad. He named his son Jagger.

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